Conversation Starters

Questions to Start a Conversation

2006-04-20T10:02:00.000-07:00

To start a conversation, you must as the right questions. The best type of questions to ask are open ended questions (ones that can't be answered with a yes or no answer).

With that in mind here are a couple questions to start a conversation:

What do you do for work?
Where did you go to school?
What do you enjoy doing?

If you're lost, check out the advice at conversation-master.com

Learn the Art of Approaching Women

2006-04-18T09:47:00.000-07:00

If you've ever found it difficult to approach women, now's your chance to breakthrough into the success you've always dreamed of!

Learn how to master the art of approaching women and increase your chances for success by over 78% by visiting this page at bigbrothersadvice.com, found here.

Practice Your Conversation Starters

2006-03-23T09:55:00.000-08:00

You must make it a point of practicing your conversation starters and being able to start a good conversation, as the skills you develop will pay off handsomely.

To be honest, it doesn't matter if you are really smart - I mean mary lynn rajskub computer hacker smart - or really dumb - I mean Billy Madison, I need bridgette wilson to teach me dumb - it's all about being able to carry on a decent conversation, showing people that you're not socially inept.

A Great Place to Try Your Dating Conversation Starters - NZDating

2006-03-23T09:34:00.000-08:00

NZDating is new zealand's top dating website, boasting thousands of members, many features common to most pay dating sites, and best of all, free sign up.

NZdating is a great place to meet people online - especially if you're from new zealand - to practice carrying on conversation in their great online community.

For more info and an in depth review, go to http://www.bigbrothersadvice.com/nzdating.shtml

Better than any teen conversation starters

2006-02-22T14:11:00.000-08:00

If you truly want to connect with people and become an interesting conversationalist, you need to become truly - genuinely - interested in people.

Becoming genuinely interested in other - what they have to say, how they feel, and so on - will be better than any list of teen conversation starters, cheezy pick up lines, or conversation tip you will ever get.

Your Attitude and Conversational Effectiveness

2006-02-13T10:36:00.000-08:00

If you want to start having amazing conversations with others, make sure that you are happy.

Make sure that the attitude and image that you show others is upbeat, positive and addictingly happy - this will have people dying to be around you....they won't be able to get enough of your positive attitude and will love the conversations you have together.

Valentines Day is Coming!

2006-02-08T11:14:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and the amount of resources available to help you find the person of your dreams has never been greater.

If you are dying to meet someone new, and just don't know how to go about doing it, why not try using one of the guides listed at http://www.bigbrothersadvice.com - they will give you some excellent pointers on how to ask someone out, make conversation, or carry on a date - definitely important things with valentine's day so near.

You can check out these guides, and their reviews by going to http://www.bigbrothersadvice.com and clicking on their link to flirting guides.

The Best Conversation Starter Ever

2006-02-06T15:07:00.000-08:00

The best conversation starter you could ever begin with is a smile.

That's right. A simple smile.

It shows the person you'd like to talk to that you are friendly and willing to carry on a conversation.

Try it out and see how it goes.

Always Keep the Conversations Short

2006-01-27T09:54:00.000-08:00

When making conversation with someone, always try to end the conversation before they do - even if you find it very interesting. If you end the conversation before they do, it leaves them wanting more....which sets you up positively in the future, as they will look forward to speaking to you again.

Ending the conversation early also gives you an opportunity to say how much you enjoyed the conversation, and how you'd like to continue it later on.... and then get their phone number or email address.

Ask Open Ended Questions

2006-01-24T12:45:00.000-08:00

In any conversation, your goal should be to get the other person talking and try to find out what they are interested in.

Once you've found what they're interested in, then you can easily have them talking for hours.

The key to this is asking open ended questions - questions requiring more than a yes or no answer.

Practice this and you'll find your conversational skills will drastically improve.

Use Open Body Language for Great Conversations

2006-01-20T09:44:00.000-08:00

When you use open body language, it allows others to relax when they are around you and shows that you are receptive to and would welcome their attempts at a conversation.

Some open body language characteristics can include:

-keeping your arms and legs uncrossed
-smiling
-facing towards them

Slow Down and Relax

2006-01-19T09:32:00.000-08:00

In making good conversation, it's best to have a slower, more relaxed tone and pace to the conversation as it draws the listener in and allows them to slow down and relax.

Quite often, if you use a quick, fast pace to your conversation to start (unless this matches the personality of the person you're talking to) - you'll scare people off.

So ease into conversation by allowing people to easily match your pace before you speed things up.

Research Your Topics of Conversation

2006-01-17T09:26:00.000-08:00

Try and be knowledgeable or at least have a general opinion on the things that you will be talking about in conversation.

This may require a little research - especially if you know a particular topic is popular among the people you will be talking with.

If you honestly don't know anything about it, ask questions about it - more often than not most people will be happy to tell you.

Have a Great Conversation - Express Yourself Clearly

2006-01-16T10:35:00.000-08:00

One of the biggest keys to having a great conversation with anyone is to express yourself clearly.

With that in mind, here are a few quick tips:

Take your time when expressing your thoughts, ideas or feelings.

Try and have a bit of an idea of what you'll say before you meet someone.

Don't use slang or jargon that the person may not understand.

Share the Conversation

2006-01-13T09:23:00.000-08:00

Being a good conversationalist involves allowing others to speak - not dominating the conversation. Express your thoughts and ideas, but don't dominate the conversation.

Remember People's Name

2006-01-12T10:09:00.000-08:00

If you can remember someone's name, and use it throughout the conversation, it will be music to their ears.

Using someone's name throughout the conversation lets them know that you haven't forgotten their name, and it makes the conversation much more personal - which everyone craves.

Using someone's name throughout the conversation can also help you remember their name later on, so it is a good trick to use when meeting someone for the first time if you have a hard time remembering people's names.

Always Know Why You're Talking to Someone

2006-01-11T14:33:00.000-08:00

Remember that you're talking to someone to convey meaningful information - so always have a point to the story, a motive behind your actions.

Do not talk just to hear your own voice. Try to have something significant to say. If you can't come up with anything, head over to www.bigbrothersadvice.com for some interesting topics of conversation. Don't bore your listeners - they won't want to talk to you again if you do.

In order to develop excellent conversation skills, you must......

2006-01-10T13:39:00.000-08:00

... be with people. Carrying on conversations, being part of a group and being in social situations are all ways to interact with others and work on your people skills.

If you want to be a great conversationalist, you've got to practice, practice, practice.

Watch Your Grammer to Increase Your Audience's Enjoyment

2006-01-08T09:35:00.000-08:00

If you use good grammar, it makes it a lot easier on your audience. If you use bad grammer or slang, they have to subconsciously decode what you are saying, which requires more work than if you were to just use regular language.

The more work it takes to carry on the conversation, the less they will like carrying on a conversation with you, and the more likely that they will become tired of listening to you.

For example, loud people typically enjoy a certain level of popularity just because their initial loudness and energy - but people will often get tired of them and tune them out after the initial interest wears off. Why? Because they require more work to listen to.

When asking questions.....

2005-12-29T08:14:00.000-08:00

Don't grill them with thousands of questions. It's good to ask open-ended questions, yes, but don't make it seem like they just stepped into an interrogation unit of the police station.

Ask your questions, but be sure to open up a bit yourself - express an opinion, make a funny comment etc.

The Best, Never Fail Conversation Starters Ever

2005-12-28T13:08:00.000-08:00

The best, guaranteed never fail conversation starters are open ended questions.

Open ended questions will always guarantee you a good conversation, as long as your questions can't be answered with a yes or no answer and as long as you ask questions about them or about something that is of interest to them.

Some Fantastic Dating Conversation Starters

2005-12-24T18:00:00.000-08:00

Big Brother's Advice (http://www.bigbrothersadvice.com) has just undergone a huge update, and they have added a tonne of new stuff - including many more conversation starter ideas, as well as other specific dating advice. Be sure to check it out!

Or, if you're looking for some more specific dating advice, go to http://www.conversation-master.com

Conversational Pitfalls to Avoid

2005-12-23T11:58:00.000-08:00

People find it really difficult to speak with someone who is a poor conversationalist.

But more than just not communicating well, people can also be turned off by the subject matter or style of the presentation.

With that in mind, try and avoid:

-lecturing
-gossiping
-talking way too much
-talking about yourself continually

If you find yourself falling into any of the above areas, try and get out as soon as you can.

If you'd like more tips on starting a conversation, particularly if you want conversation advice for dating, visit www.bigbrothersadvice.com

Speak Up, Make a Good Impression and Reap the Benefits!

2005-12-21T09:59:00.000-08:00

When you know how to make a great impression good things
happen; when you can win people over resources are at your
disposal that others do without; when you can stand up and
be counted even with the pressure on, people listen to you.
Others want to be with you and they are more than happy to
help you get what you want.

We live in busy hectic times and those who speak up and
know how to win peoples attention, confidence and support
dominate in business. These same people also enjoy full and
happy social lives. These individuals are popular,
respected, liked and appreciated by their friends.

Life is not fair. You are much more likely to get what you
want if you go and ask for what you want.... and especially
if people like and respect you.

Learn How to Tell A Good Story

2005-10-11T22:28:00.000-07:00

Good conversationalists know how to capture their audience's attention through the magic of telling a good story.

Not a "Once upon a time..." type of story, but a story about a personal experience, a humorous anecdote or a recent news story.

First Impressions - Don't Try Too Hard

2005-09-27T07:51:00.000-07:00

Although we all want to be liked, ironically, the worst way to win approval is to desperately need it.

When you are too needy it repels people. They sense that you don't value yourself and as a result they are more likely to treat you without respect.

Thankfully there is a solution.

The more you love and approve yourself the more others will tend to like you. People reflect back what you feel about yourself so make apoint of building your self-esteem and notice the positive change in how happy people are to meet you.

Amazing "How to" Info on Talking to Women

2005-08-31T22:00:00.000-07:00

It's not everyday that you come across a woman who is willing to sit down with you and answer any and all questions that you may have about talking to women or girls - but that's what it was like when I saw Rachel Davis' website.

She goes into some very detailed, step by step techniques to help you overcome shyness and learn what to say, how to say it and when to say it when you're talking to a woman.

The site's got a ton of great information that I haven't seen available on the net before, and is definitely worth checking out.

Beat Conversation Fear with These Tips

2005-08-29T08:34:00.000-07:00

Be Yourself

Take it easy and don´t put yourself under undue pressure to be the life of the party. Be yourself. And if that isn´t good enough for some people, then be selective and mix with people more to your liking.

It is your choice who you mix with so don´t be passive and leave it to others to decide if they want to talk to you.

Respect Conversational Give And Take

People tend to gravitate to people who are good listeners, so don´t feel that you have to talk until you are blue in the face. It is perfectly acceptable to be quiet, to listen and to encourage others to talk.

Good conversation is about give and take so develop both of these aspects of conversation skills. Start to get a feel for the flow of the conversation and how people interact - let the conversation take on a life of its own.

Read Your Audience for Conversational Success

2005-08-26T07:01:00.000-07:00

If you are giving a speech, watch the audience and know how to read their reactions. For example, if they are bored, key up your speech. If they are tired, then maybe it would be best to wrap it up.

If your communication is more personal like a date, do the same but remember communication is a give and take process.

If you are uncomfortable, being silent will only make it worse and make the other person uncomfortable as well.

So when all else fails follow through with small talk until a common topic appears. A good way to keep a conversation going is to ask the other person questions. People love to talk about themselves and if you do this they will leave the conversation thinking very highly of you.

Honing Your Conversation Skills

2005-08-25T07:37:00.000-07:00

Honing your conversation skills will allow you to feel more at ease when conversing with others and will help you say what you really want to convey.

-Think about your tone, it should be pleasing, not too loud or too soft. If you are talking too loudly you might be considered an unpleasant conversationalist, so people may not want to talk to you? If you are speaking too softly and people have to strain to hear you, they might get tired of trying to listen.

-Think about some things you might need or want to say before you are at that job interview or party. It will be helpful to think this through and even practice saying these things out loud. With practice, you will come across as being confident and intelligent.

Tips to Eliminate the Fear of Talking

2005-08-24T07:13:00.000-07:00

Relax and Breath.

Whether it's a business meeting, a conference room or a first date the first thing you must do in order to communicate is relax.When you relax you are in control.

You control your reactions and your reactions do not control you. Breathing is central to relaxation. Take a few deep breaths and your body will begin to be more at ease.

Ways to Guarantee Superior People Skills - Part 3

2005-08-23T07:26:00.000-07:00

Allow yourself to make mistakes.

One of the biggest errors I see people making is the all or nothing attitude. i.e. - I will give it my best and if I fail I will never try again! The challenge with that attitude is that human beings learn by trial and error. None of us were born with the ability to walk, talk or drive a car!

We learn all the crucial life skills by observing, experimenting and correcting our mistakes.If you demand 100% success and perfection you will be very disappointed and you will never develop exceptional people skills.

On the other hand, when you allow yourself to make mistakes it takes a lot of the pressure off you. You will perform a lot better when you allow yourself to be less than perfect - a work in progress that is always maturing. Mistakes then become evidence of areas for improvement.

Get fascinated by how you achieve both good results and not so good results. Notice what is working and do more of it, notice what is not working and aim to do less of it.One improvement after another is all it takes. Each little modification to your approach will take you closer and closer to a breakthrough.

Ways to Guarantee Superior People Skills - Part 2

2005-08-22T07:28:00.001-07:00

Take charge of your emotional state.

The greatest speech can be destroyed by a dull voice tone and the best joke can lose its humor when it isn´t delivered properly.

All too often in your desire to do well you freeze and choose to say nothing in case you make a fool of yourself. Then people say you are too quiet and it starts to seem as if you can never win.Speak up and sound foolish or stay quiet and get criticized. Some choice!

Fear is getting the better of you. Your fear of what might go wrong can take on a life of its own unless you take charge of your emotional state.What is the answer? The key is to develop the ability to eliminate fear - fear of rejection, the fear of looking stupid and the fear of saying the wrong thing.

List the fears that hold you back and put them behind you one at a time.

Ways to Guarantee Superior People Skills - Part 2

2005-08-22T07:28:00.000-07:00

Ways to Guarantee Superior People Skills - Part 1

2005-08-19T08:17:00.000-07:00

Regard conversation skills as another skill you plan to master.

Making people like you is an acquired skill. You can learn how to encourage others to listen to you. Also, making a great first impression is a matter of knowing how to.

Treat communication skills as a step by step formula to be uncovered and learned. If even one other person can do it well then you can too - once you learn how.

When you stop giving yourself a hard time for your past performance and instead commit to learning how to be better you can improve very quickly.

Developing Superior Conversation Skills - 6 Tips You Can Use Today

2005-08-18T08:16:00.000-07:00

1.) Awareness of your own interaction with other people is the first step in improving your communication skills.

Learn to identify which types of situations make you uncomfortable and then modify your behavior to achieve positive results is a critical step in improving your communication skills.

You can learn to become aware of behaviors in other people that prompt you to respond in negative ways and modify your own behavior to turn the situation into a positive experience.

2.) You must accept responsibility for your own behavior and do not fear apologizing for errors in judgment or insensitive actions.

Asking others for honest feedback about the way you interact with others can be very helpful. Accept the negative feedback along with the positive and make changes accordingly.

3.) Your non-verbal communication is equally as important as the things that you say.

Positive body language is extremely important in your interactions with other people.

If your words and your actions do not match, you will have a difficult time succeeding in social situations.

4.) In order to learn how to improve your communication skills, you must become a great listener.

You must fight the urge to respond immediately and really listen to what the other person is trying to communicate.

Offering suggestions or criticism before you are certain ofthe other person's intent can only lead to frustration for both parties.

5.) Improving your communication skills is a process and cannot be accomplished overnight.

Trying to improve or change too many things at once will be counter-productive.You will become discouraged and overwhelmed if you attempt to change your entire personality all at once.

Choose one or two traits at a time and work on those over a period of time. Learn to take advantage of your personal strengths and make a positive impact on others.

6.) Maximize your positive personality traits and use them in your interactions with others.

Good communication and great listening skills are the most important tools you can use in improving your communication skills.You can learn how to improve your communication skills by developing excellent listening skills, learning to resolve problems and conflicts, understanding body language, and accepting responsibility for your own negative behavior.

Insider Info on How to Talk to Women

2005-08-16T08:58:00.000-07:00

Reasons to Develop People Skills Continued

2005-08-15T09:27:00.000-07:00

Your degree of happiness is very closely tied to the quality of the relationships in your life. The more close relationships you have with people who genuinely care about you the happier you will be. And all lasting relationships depend on good communication skills.

Life will always have its ups and downs. The good times are even more fun when you are with people you like. And the bad days are easier to handle when you can turn to others for support and encouragement.None of this is feasible without the ability to reach out when you need to most of all.

When you reach the top of success mountain will people even care? If you do it alone you may well jump over the edge! True success is a team effort. You will get ahead faster and enjoy the journey much more when you have a team of supporters, helpers and mentors on your side.

Why You Should Never Neglect People and Conversation Skills - 4 Reasons

2005-08-12T07:42:00.000-07:00

1. Exceptional people skills and the ability to start a wonderful conversation with anyone you meet are essential life skills. Your success and happiness are directly related to the development of these social skills.These skills are not optional unless you want to be excluded from what is going on in the world.

2. In an increasingly competitive world it is your skill with people that determines whether you move ahead more so than your technical ability. There is a plentiful supply of able workers but very few have great communication skills.

3. In your social life - your popularity, your acceptance by others and the extent to which you feel valued and appreciated depends on how well you express yourself.

4. The failure to connect with people leads to loneliness and an uncomfortable sense of being excluded. And too much time spent alone when you would rather be enjoying the company of like minded people.

4 Conversation Tips

2005-08-11T12:39:00.000-07:00

In my travels on the web, I found the following 4 Tips to increasing your communication skills:

"Step #1 Start socializing close to home.

Not literally but metaphorically. Start by looking at your closest social interactions.

If you are the kind of person who is more off to themselves and not very active at your friends' parties then you are more than likely the same person who can't speak up in a business or find the courage to initiate a date.So start by mingling yourself with your closest people more often. Practice by holding conversation with family you don't regularly speak too or becoming more active in the party scene with your friends.

There's no need to become outrageous just speak up with those you fell comfortable with.

Step #2 Improve your conversation skills.

Nervousness is a common occurrence when it comes to interacting with other people, it doesn't have to be an obstacle though.Watch the conversation and don't let those uncomfortable pauses scare you.

Remember if you are nervous there is a good chance that the other person is nervous as well, so just take it easy.Try small talk, like the weather or the economy or things locally that you have in common such as the job or what's been on television lately.

When you see the conversation picking back up then just let it flow naturally and if you need to guide it back to amore important topic.Something else to remember in the conversation is to avoid talking over the other person. Watch the person's reaction and if your are really worried about interrupting, try and anticipate their next move.

Above all, apologizing instead of simply ordering the person to continue speaking when you interrupt is never overrated. Being polite is the easiest way to improve your social skills.

Step #3 Improve the body language in your communication skills.

Crossing your arms is subconsciously offensive because you display a piece of aggression, stating that you would rather not become deeply engaged in the conversation and that possibly you might be bored.

If you are seated, crossing your legs displays the same message. Try and keep your arms down, hands in the pockets are fine.Try and keep your legs down and if you are standing don't sway.

Swaying can suggest again that you are bored or that you are in a hurry.

Step #4 Ending the Conversation.

Knowing how to end conversation is just as important in improving your communication skills as holding the conversation is.Holding onto a conversation that is clearly over labels you as annoying and selfish.

Watch the other person's movements and actions.We as humans have very subtle but dependable signs of letting each know when we are through. If the other person tends to refer to their "to do list" for the day or are constantly shifting their body weight or displaying other physical signs of boredom, let them go."

Practice Makes Perfect

2005-08-10T14:13:00.000-07:00

Don't be afraid to practice making conversation with someone - it's often the only way you'll get better.

Practice on friends or family first if you have to (before you go and talk to a stranger or someone you'd like to ask out), just so you can get used to striking up a conversation.

A List of Conversation Starters #4

2005-08-09T07:56:00.000-07:00

A few general questions that may spark an exciting conversation:

-Have any pets? - People either have pets and love them, or you could ask them why they don't have any pets.

-Have you ever....? - Ask about something that you are knowledgeable about or enjoy doing. This is a good way to find out if you have common ground.

If they do have that interest in common with you then you will have plenty to talk about. If they don't have that interest then just say, "Oh, I see." They will ask, "Why do you ask, have you?" Then answer honestly but don't brag and don't go on about it for too long--just move onto something else.

-What is one event in the future whose outcome you would like to know now?

-If you could "uninvent" one thing in the world so that it would no longer exist, what would you choose?

-Using only one word, describe yourself as a child.

-You've won $50,000 - but have to give it all away. To which charity or institution would you donate it?

A List of Conversation Starters #3

2005-08-08T10:58:00.000-07:00

Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing to start an excellent conversation - ask about their likes and dislikes:

-What kind of movies do you like?
-What is the worst movie you ever saw?
-Who is your favorite actor/actress?
-What do you like about them?
-What is your favorite TV show?
-What is your least favorite?

-What kind of music do you enjoy?
-Who is your favorite performer/group/band?
-Who do you think is the hottest this year?
-Do you think they will still be next year?
-Who do you think is the most over-hyped?

-Do you like to read?
-Who is your favorite author?
-What's the best book you've read recently?

-Do you belong to any clubs or organizations?
-What do you like to do in your spare time? (hobbies, interests)
-How did you get started with your hobby?
-What do you like most about it?

A List of Conversation Starters #2

2005-08-07T08:47:00.000-07:00

Here are a few questions that you could ask someone about themselves to help break the ice and get the conversation flowing:

-Have you always lived in (name of your town or city)? Do you like it here? (Or if they say no) Where did you live before this? What was it like there? What's better or worse about this city?

-Do you ever wish you lived somewhere else?

-Does the rest of your family live nearby? (Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles?)

-Do you get along well with your family?

-Do you plan on staying here, or do you plan to move away?

-What kind of career are you interested in?

-Have you been to the local (park, library, shopping center)? (Talk about something unique if at all possible here - this could open up a chance to ask her out. Like if she says "No, I haven't been to the new shopping mall yet.", then you could follow that up by mentioning that you would be happy to go there with her.)

A List of Conversation Starters #1

2005-08-06T08:06:00.000-07:00

Here are a few questions that you could ask to get a conversation started if they go to school:

-What do you think of a certain class? Who's your favorite teacher at our school? What makes them your favorite?

-What do you think of schools that make the students wear uniforms?

-Are you involved in anything at school (ie - sports teams, class president etc)?

-What do you and your friends do when you're not at school?

-Do you plan on going to college someday? Do you know what you want to study at college? What colleges would you apply to?

A Step by Step Way to Start a Conversation With Women

2005-08-06T08:05:00.000-07:00

Here's a book that I highly recommend to any guy who would like to improve his conversation skills (and his success rate) in regards to starting a conversation with women.

Conversation Starter Books

This book is an extremely easy and interesting read and is packed with tons of insider information and some great "how to" secrets on starting a conversation with a woman.

It comes with a 100% money back guarantee, and the 3 free bonuses you get along with the book make this deal incredible.

Click Here to Grab it now and learn exactly how to master the art of starting a conversation with any woman!

Some General Ideas on How to Start a Conversation

2005-08-05T17:08:00.000-07:00

Here are tips on starting a conversation:

-Try to be as original as possible (don't ask the same old questions unless you've got nothing else to ask - at all)

-If you manage to get her talking on one particular subject, keep going with it. Don't try and change subjects too quickly, just because you want to talk about something else - work any interest that she has (or shows)

-Always (and I mean ALWAYS) end the conversation before she does. It'll keep her wanting to talk to you even more.

-Ask open ended questions (questions where she can't just answer with a yes or a no).

-You don't want a formal list of questions to go through - that tends to make things fairly mechanical and awkward. You're just looking to find an interest or some common ground to get the conversation going.